While visiting Krakow, you will surely notice that one of the most popular souvenirs is amber jewellery. But how come that Baltic sea amber is so popular so far from the seaside? It all dates back to prehistoric and medieval times. Krakow was a vibrant commerce hub situated on the

St. Mary’s Basilica in the Main Square is one of Krakow’s best landmarks and probably one of the most widely recognised churches in Poland. It is an excellent example of Gothic architecture in Poland and its interior hides the world-class wooden altarpiece carved by Veit Stoss. From the taller of its two

Centre of Japanese Art and Technology The Manggha Museum was established as the Manggha Centre of Japanese Art and Technology, on the initiative of revered Polish film director, Andrzej Wajda and his wife, Krystyna Zachwatowicz. In 1987 Andrzej Wajda was awarded prestigious Inamori Foundation Kyoto Prize for his artistic work and decided to

Karol Szymanowski Karol Szymanowski was born in 1882 into the wealthy land-owning family, members of Polish szlachta, in the village of Tymoszowka (then in the Russian Empire, now in Ukraine). As a young boy, he was educated at home by his father who put an emphasis on music since the

Czartoryski Museum The Princes Czartoryski Library was founded by the Czartoryski family, and most notably, by Princess Izabela Czartoryska and Prince Adam Kazimierz Czartoryski. The collection was originally a part of the Czartoryski Museum, established in 1796 in Pulawy, moved in 1882 to Krakow. In 1830 there were about 70,000 prints

Europeum is the newest branch of the National Museum in Krakow, opened in 2013 in a restored 17th-century granary. Its permanent exhibition is entirely dedicated to European art from past centuries. It features excellent examples of European painting and sculpture. This old granary was previously used by the National Museum as

The Palace on Kanonicza street was erected in 1505 as a great manor house, which was considered to be the most impressive on that street. It was the foundation of Erazm Ciolek, prominent figure of the early-16th-century Krakow. He was a respected Polish diplomat, writer, and patron of artists. In 1494 he

Jozef Mehoffer Jozef Mehoffer was a Polish painter, one of the leading artists of the Young Poland movement (Art Nouveau in Poland) and one of the most revered Polish artists of his time. He was born in 1869 into a polonised family of Austrian high officials. He studied painting at the Academy of

Feliks Jasienski Szolayski House is a branch of the National Museum in Krakow. It is dedicated to Feliks Jasienski, an art critic, art collector and a notable figure in the history of Krakow. ‘Szolayski’ refers to the name of a prominent bourgeois family who owned this building at the beginning

Jan Matejko Jan Matejko was born in 1838 in Krakow into a mixed family with Polish, German and Czech roots. He was one of eleven children. His mother died, when he was only seven years old, and his father was strict and cold-hearted, so the Matejko family house was not a happy